Wrap or Nekkid????

[creek bottom]

So, I got the new cooker home 2 weeks ago. Got it seasoned and I'm FINALLY going to get a chance to cook on it this weekend. I've got 4 butts and a 12 1/2# packer brisket to try it out. This is the first time I've ever done a brisket. I've read a lot on this forum, and I'm curious, do I wrap it or just let it go nekkid??? I've seen varying opinions and just wondered which is really preferred and why? Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[HalfSmoked]

I have no reason other than that is the only way have I ever done one and that is I never wrap anything.

Warren

 

[bregent]

Some wrap, some don't. The only way you will ever know which you prefer is to try both ways several times.

 

[Misplaced Nebraskan]

Always Wrap it up!... oh Briskets... ya, nekkid is my vote if I have the schedule availability. But like bregent said, try em both and see what ya like.

 

[JJS]

I don’t wrap, basically because I never have and always turned out fine

 

[jcam222]

For me the answer is more about time of cook vs. results. If I need it to finish faster I will wrap it.

 

[Jonok]

Lots more latitude with producing consistently moist meat if you wrap somewhere around 150 and cook it until it probes tender. Once you know what you’re doing, you can work on your naked technique.

 

[creek bottom]

Thanks everyone for the responses. Another dumb question, what do you mean by “probe tender”? Sorry, I’ve just never done a brisket before....

 

[chef jimmyj]

Probe tender is a Therm probe slides in with only slight resistance. This occurs around 195°F IT. Tender but not falling apart. With Butts you look for the probe to slide in with no resistance like a hot knife thru butter. This is around 205°F and the meat will fall apart...JJ

 

[William89]

I think I'm becoming lazier these days because I used to wrap. Now ribs and butts go unwrapped with great results. Planning to do a brisket this weekend which will be the first time going unwrapped. Always have used foil or butcher paper so we shall see how it turns out. What I've noticed is everyone has different ways of cooking but it all seems to come out great so in my mind do what ya like and don't worry about it. Just make sure she's done when she's done and all will be good.

 

[tallbm]

So, I got the new cooker home 2 weeks ago. Got it seasoned and I'm FINALLY going to get a chance to cook on it this weekend. I've got 4 butts and a 12 1/2# packer brisket to try it out. This is the first time I've ever done a brisket. I've read a lot on this forum, and I'm curious, do I wrap it or just let it go nekkid??? I've seen varying opinions and just wondered which is really preferred and why? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi there and welcome!

I'm a nekkid all the way guy but it took me doing both ways to show me how much more I liked it vs wrapped. I feel like wrapped just robs the meat of it's full potential on butts and briskets.

As for probe tender, with cuts like a brisket (or even a butt) the meat is done when it passes the tenderness test. Using a meat thermometer probe to measure the Internal Temp (IT) tells you when to start checking for tenderness NOT when the meat is done... again these cuts are done ONLY when they are tender and pass your tenderness test. I use bamboo kabob skewers to do my tenderness testing because they are nice and long for stabbing all over in big cuts of meat like briskets and pork butts. When it goes in about like butter the meat is tender! :)

I run 3 meat probes in my briskets because I usually get 1 out of 3 placed where the temperature is reflected most accurately. I find that if I start checking for tenderness on a brisket around 198-200F IT that most times I have to go up to 202-203F. With prime briskets I find they get tender and ready a few degrees lower than a choice grade brisket.

If this is your first brisket then be sure to do your homework. I recommend nekkid but if you want a BETTER product you better be ready to trim away the thin parts and corners so they don't burn up and turn to inedible crust/charcoal on you.
At the end of the Flat on a brisket it gets very thin, especially on one side. I trim all that good meat away and use it for other things (pot roast, burger grind, or throw it in the smoker later so it doesn't burn up). I trim the brisket flat so that what is left is all good uniform thickness that cooks up more evenly and doesn't go to waste.

If you run a nekkid brisket and do not trim away the thin parts that burn up you will not be so pleased with your overall result because you will have great meat attached to inedible meat.
Here is an image I always share when I talk about how I trim up the flat part of my brisket to run nekkid:

Running a nekkid pork but is super simple and doesn't need anything but rubbing, putting a temp probe in it, smoke it, and pull when it passes the tenderness tests. Again the brisket is a little more prep work.
Best of luck and let us know how it comes out! :)

 

[hardcookin]

I like wrapping my briskets with butcher paper. It's all about what your preference is.

 

[chef jimmyj]

tallbm What temp are you Smoking that Brisket at? Granted even at 225 the edges get darker, but that is what Texan's call Burnt Ends, not that Phony Bolony, some BBQ Joints make, cutting chunks of smoked meat and covering in sauce.
In any event you must be running pretty Hot that the edges burn to crisp...JJ

 

[tallbm]

tallbm What temp are you Smoking that Brisket at? Granted even at 225 the edges get darker, but that is what Texan's call Burnt Ends, not that Phony Bolony, some BBQ Joints make, cutting chunks of smoked meat and covering in sauce.
In any event you must be running pretty Hot that the edges burn to crisp...JJ

chef jimmyj I run at 275F.

I've found that with 12 pound or lower briskets the end of the flat is often quite thin. I've been buying nothing but 15 pounders or higher now which helps with thicker flats that don't taper down nearly as thin. I still cut off the end on the much bigger briskets but I notice I don't have to worry as much with the larger briskets.

Here is one I just pulled out of the smoker 30 minutes ago with the end trimmed off in this fasion!

BrisketFlatTrimAway

• tallbm
• Oct 7, 2017

Trimmed flat side is on the right side of the following pic.

DSC_0007[1]

• tallbm
• Apr 27, 2019

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• tallbm
• Apr 27, 2019

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• tallbm
• Apr 27, 2019

I take the flat piece and any other good pieces, roll it up/fold it and then lay it on a bed of stringy trimmed fat in the pan under my brisket. This is thinner flat portion becomes either my phony bolony burnt ends (kind of I don't cube and return it) OR it becomes juicy tender chopped/shredded BBQ beef sandwich fodder

See what I mean here with the rolled up/folded flat meat in the pan. The white spot is due to the meat touching the bottom rack that the brisket sits on while the brisket cooks:

DSC_0008[1]

• tallbm
• Apr 27, 2019

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• tallbm
• Apr 27, 2019

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• tallbm
• Apr 27, 2019

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• tallbm
• Apr 27, 2019

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• tallbm
• Apr 27, 2019

Here is an older smaller brisket where the thin flat part and/or other hanging pieces just burn away on me. The thin end of the flat is on the left hand side. I believe this was like a 9 pound brisket seasoned and thrown in with no trimming:

DSC_0511[1].JPG

• tallbm
• Aug 12, 2017

 

[chef jimmyj]

Thanks Bro. Makes better sense to me. I smoke Brisket in the 200-225 range. I will have to give your technique a try. The higher temp will save time...JJ

 

[tallbm]

Thanks Bro. Makes better sense to me. I smoke Brisket in the 200-225 range. I will have to give your technique a try. The higher temp will save time...JJ

No problem.

I come out at just around 1hr a pound at 275F. My temp wasn't too accurate at first due to airflow so I smoked at about 255F for probably 12 hours before I bumped up the temp to get an average of 275F from the left to right side of my smoker rack.
The brisket in the picture was 17.5 pounds. I probably trimmed away 3.5 pounds of fat. Leaving about 14-15 pounds of meat to smoke.
Went in Fri at 9am and was done at 2pm the next day so took about 17 hours total.

All this trimming helps keep things going well at 275F and as you mention also cuts down the smoke quite a bit when comparing to 225F temps.

 

[SmokinLogs]

You really have to try both ways multiple times and get an idea of what you prefer. Wrapping is a great way to speed things up, but I have found i prefer the taste (of most meats) without wrapping. Hope this helps a little. Good luck.

 

[tallbm]

You really have to try both ways multiple times and get an idea of what you prefer. Wrapping is a great way to speed things up, but I have found i prefer the taste (of most meats) without wrapping. Hope this helps a little. Good luck.

Yeah I agree and I also prefer the way more flavorful non-wrapped approach.

I have done that with foil wrapped vs non-wrapped BUT I have never tried with butcher paper wrapped approach which is the middle ground approach. I'm not sure I'll try the butcher paper approach unless I'm helping someone else and they want to or someone specifically asks me to do so.
I am really, really, really, into simplicity and don't like to mess with the meat until it needs to be checked for tenderness or come off the smoker